Health Inspector: No Permission was given for the Sausage Factory to Operate

Now to an update of the story about the sausage factory we’ve been covering…

The Lae City Council Health Division Inspector, Paul Wiwi today confirmed that no permission was given to the owners of the company to resume operations after a closure notice was given.

Despite denials by the government, our EM TV News crew investigating the story found out yesterday that the sausage factory was still in operation.

The company’s Manager said that an officer from the Lae City Council Health Division told them to operate but he would not name him.

Speaking to EMTV today,

Health Inspector Wiwi said he was unhappy about how other officers from the division were handling the matter of the sausage factory. Wiwi is currently on leave. He issued a closure notice to this Chinese owned sausage factory on the 17th of April.

But the sausage factory was found operating again yesterday when we visited the factory yesterday following public complaints.

The company’s General Manager, Hui Chen, told EMTV that they were given permission to operate by an officer from the Lae City Council Health Services Division, but refused to give the officers name.

The Company was ordered to close by the Health Division after a third inspection led by Paul Wiwi.

The inspections showed that the company’s sausage factory waste was being dumped into a nearby waterway.

The company also didn’t have a grease trap and was without a permit to operate the factory.

It was also found that they changed the initial building purpose as warehouse into a factory without consulting authorities.

The Division’s Health Inspector, Pau Wiwi, said if the company continues to operate it will be illegal and the division will have to issue a permanent closure notice.

Wiwi said he will find out which officer gave them the authority to operate without an official notice while he was on leave.

Meanwhile, the 2 Mile community are calling on authorities of Lae District and Morobe Provincial Government to act quickly.